The mind of a traitor (oneshot)
by Val the Doctor
Summary: The diary of a tenno who became an executioner in the court of Rathuum. (Rated M for violence, mature language, and sexual themes.)


_Executioner Kalik's log, entry 1_

I still don't know why i'm doing this... Eh, i'm already recording, might as well get this over with.

My name is Kalik, and i am traitor.

A traitor to everything and everyone i once fought for, the people of the origin system, my tenno brothers and sisters... The Lotus...

It wasn't always like this, i was once an examplary tenno, people looked up to me, i had everything i wanted and more than i needed.

And then i threw it all away.

If you bothered picking this up, you must be wondering: why?

It all started when we were assigned to assassinate a certain grineer VIP named "Kela De Thaym"...

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 2_

Kela De Thaym runs a certain game called "Rathuum" it's the grineer's version of a trail by combat, it involves a team of specialized grineer units called executioners, their numbers depending on the numbers of their enemy, running around and try to kill their enemies in arena style combat.

Me and my team wished to challenge Kela directly, but we were denied by our lack of "judgement points" wich could be won by killing her executioners in Rathuum.

I'll spare you the details of our efforts to gain enough judgement points, but the point is we eventually did it.

Now it was time to cut off the head of the snake, or so i thought at the time...

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 3_

After landing, we immediatly started getting bombarded by forced transmissions, courtesy of our target. She said we violated the rules by coming after her directly, but that she accepted our challenge regardless.

It made very little sense to us, but as the ancient saying goes: "don't look a gift horse in the mouth"

i still don't have a clue on what a "horse" is.

As we ran through the grineer structure, we encountered not as much resistance as we expected, most of the enemy resistance consisted of elite lancers, troopers, and heavy gunners. At first we thought it suspicious, then we realized that it may just be Kela De Thaym wanting to kill us all herself.

And then we reached the arena.

 _Executioner kalik's log, entry 4_

The oversized elevator was more of a hassle than i'd like to admit, but we figured it out... Eventually.

It took us up to the arena, i don't think i've ever seen so many grineer in one place as i did that day. The arena was a very large room, being in a vague square shape. with a large, round platform in the middle, surrounded by several smaller platforms.

There was a podium of sorts overlooking the arena, on it stood our assassination target...

And my future boss.

After giving an opening statement, Kela De Thaym jumped into the arena. The fight that followed was among the hardest i'd fought to this day...

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 5_

Kela De Thaym was a very distinguished grineer soldier, as was proven when she singlehandedly matched the combat prowress of four tenno, but we still managed. At least, until she started calling down orbital bombardments, we, uh, we had more trouble with that than i'd ever be willing to admit.

Regardless! Having finally dismantled her ability to bombard us, we eventually had her pinned.

In a final effort to save her skin, Kela made an offer: we spare her life, and she makes us executioners.

The first of my squad, Triska, outright refused, not willing to listen to "some cloned bitch's" begging.

The second of my squad, Redak, seemed to consider it for a brief moment, but refused.

The third, Vorkel, refused somewhat politely.

And then there was me...

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 6_

I had always been a pragmatist, my ascension to tenno had not been for some farfetched concept of honor, it had been for the power of the void, channeled through the weapons we know as "warframes". And i did not follow the Lotus out of some sense of duty or gratitude, i followed her because it meant killing, looting, and eventually, more power.

Now imagine my thoughts when i was made the offer of near endless slaughter and treasure.

I gave a silent nod at Kela De Thaym's offer, her face instantly lit up, and my squadmates each turned to me, i didn't need to see their faces to know they felt betrayed.

Whatever happened after was hazy, but i remember their deaths with perfect clarity.

Redak was young, idealistic, and naive, he died impaled on my dark split-sword, convinced that i could still make the "right" choice.

Vorkel was usually a polite fellow, well-mannered, overall friendly, but he was a monster in battle. It didn't save him from a point blank shot by my vaykor hek, though. He died cursing my name to the void.

Triska was an ill-mannered, violent, and ruthless tenno. She, surprisingly, bolted out of the arena, no doubt off to her landing craft to spread word of my betrayal.

I didn't give chase, i saw no need.

Kela De Thaym had recovered, she put her hand on my shoulder, assuring me i made the best choice i had ever made.

Time would tell if she was right.

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 7_

After the events that earned the kill-on-sight order on my head, i started living a life of killing, looting, and some more killing. It doesn't really differ that much from my old life, save for extra ugly faces tracking my every move each time i'm the selected executioner, wich was most of the time.

Ofcourse, it took a while before i became favored by the crowd, my earliest weeks as an executioner of Rathuum were filled with nothing but hate and disgust, coming at me, and coming from me. I cannot count how many times i have had the words "tenno skoom!" flung at me, but i suppose that was to be expected.

But luckily i was not without friends. Well, maybe "friends" is not the right word, i've been an executioner for nearly two years now, and it still feels weird to call a grineer "friend".

Yes, during my two years of fighting in the arena of Rathuum, i've become very buddy-buddy with my fellow executioners.

Executioner Garesh had been impressed by the way is dispatched my former tenno brothers and sister. He had a grudge against the tenno, you see, one of them had been sent on an extermination mission, and left Garesh as the sole survivor.

Ofcourse, i questioned his, uh, "friendliness" towards me, if you can call it that, he responded, saying something akin to "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", though if i had to give it name, i'd call it a "grudging respect" but i guess that's just me.

Speaking of fellow executioners, back then i also met the executioner who would become somewhat special to me.

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 8_

Executioner Vay Molta was among the more vicious grineer to fight in Rathuum, she had also watched the performance that earned me my right to become an executioner.

She was respected by her fellows, and loved by the crowds, back then it meant nothing, now? Still nothing, the crowds love everybody that knows how to spill blood, but the point is she was, and still is, a respected figure among us executioners.

She aproached me, saying she was impressed by my willingness to butcher my comrades the way i did.

I was not prepared for what followed.

She threw a punch at me, one that hit me right in the faceplate. I reeled back, briefly stunned by the action, then recomposed myself. I retaliated by copying the action, it didn't have the same effect.

Vay Molta caught my fist, and twisted my arm, i twisted my body along with my arm and followed it up with a kick to the side of her head. She staggered, not expecting my blow.

Our little bout ended there, she laughed, said i wasn't as flimsy as i looked. It was hard not to take offense to that, i take pride in the aperance of my prized volt prime.

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 9_

I took the time i had then to get to know my new "friends". They were, and still are, among the most interesting grineer i've come across. Surprisingly, most proved rather accepting of my prescence.

Dok Thul was the one who interested me most at the time. Unlike most grineer, he sought to heal and protect his allies. He had tried to convince me to let him dissect my warframe, needless to say, i disagreed... Violently.

Dhurnam aproached me, begged me to beat him bloody, i asked why, he told me it was a side effect of a genetic modification. I obliged, pinning him against the wall and beat him until i confirmed all his teeth had met the cold, dirty, floor. He thanked me afterwards.

That little show got me cheers from the other executioners, two of wich aproached me, Gorth and Nok. Both of them were distinguished grineer marines, but Gorth had made a grave mistake somewhere in his career, and Nok just got old. They radiated with a sense of discipline and pride, the kind where you just _knew_ the person standing in front of you was worthy of respect. Both of them had their silent gaze on me, sizing me up, measuring my ability, they gave a silent nod, i'd passed their little test.

I was next aproached by a grineer noble of all things. Olka Harkonar, the one produces the buzlok rifle, and the harkonar armor set. She wasn't satisfied with watching her weapons' effectiveness, no, she needed to taste the blood of her enemies herself. This fact alone got a sense of respect out of me.

She grabbed me by the neck, pulled my faceplate close to her half-mechanical face. she made me a promise, if i'd prove inadequate, she'd test her newest weapons on me. I responded, saying she didn't need to worry, she simply released me, and stormed off.

I was then met with a special looking roller ball, the top of wich extended and formed a turret. I readied my dark split-sword, only to find another executioner by the name of Reth aproaching from behind it. He slapped the turret in the back of it's, uh, "head" i guess you could call it, in the same way one would scold a child. After that little show he turned to me, gave his apologies, then went back to wherever he was.

Then there was executioner Zura. I, uh, i don't know that much about Zura, now that i think about it.

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 10_

So... Entry ten already, huh? No doubt you've been binging these entries in the span of ten minutes or something, well, ten days have gone by since i started recording my thoughts in this thing.

Time flies...

Anyway, i bet you're still wondering about what i said about Vay Molta becoming special to me. I'll tell you that story now.

It began about three weeks after my betrayal, i was put together with Vay Molta against a tenno rookie who had strayed too far from the pack. I thought nothing of my novice adversary, he was a rookie, a small fry. That kind of thinking proved to be a mistake, one i wouldn't repeat.

I won't bore you with the details of the fight, but somewhere along the line, Vay Molta was downed, the rookie had his heat-sword raised to execute her. I wouldn't have any of it. So, i readied my vaykor hek, and shredded his head with a point blank headshot.

She seemed surprised by my action, even more when i offered my hand to help her up. Ofcourse she was hesitant, it was expected. Eventually she took my hand and i pulled her up.

The look on her face was unlike any i ever saw on a grineer, and one i'll never forget. At fist she looked shocked, then her look got more complicated, as she probably couldn't figure out if i was up to something, when she took my hand her face had a look that was a mix between pouty, ashamed, and frustrated.

We both basked in the cheers of the crowd for a moment or two before heading back to our respective quarters, neither of us said anything.

After that, she became ever so slightly softer, emotionally i mean.

Executioner Kalik's log, entry 11

If i recall, in my last entry i talked about me and Vay Molta. As any void-cursed halfwit with a pair of eyes can see, she started getting interested in me... I'm going to cringe so hard when i look back at this, i mean seriously, "she started getting interested in me."? I sound like a fucking creep.

Back on topic, over the course of roughly two years, Vay Molta and i, Kalik, had been paired together in the arena more times than i could be bothered to count. We grew close, having spilled the blood of many together.

Eventually we got so close that i was able to... reap certain benefits... Yes, let's call it that. Actually, nevermind, i'll just say it like it is.

We fucked.

If you're one of those people that believe warframes are purely mechanical creations, that's a misconception. But i suppose one could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

It's a little known fact that warframes actually contain both synthetic and biological components, among those are two sets of very functional sex organs, one for each gender's role.

And the grineer are not much diffrent, most people, myself included, thought that grineer were given cybernetic augmentations from the start of their lives, this is not true. Underwhelming cannonfodder like lancers and troopers may only dream of getting such augmentations, however, if a grineer soldier posseses a large intellect, or a particular effectiveness in combat or something like that, they can be chosen to recieve augmentations to extend their lives beyond the few short decades they normally have.

With that little bit of exposition out of the way, we can now return to the topic at hand.

We didn't do it for any sort of deep reason, none of that "love has no boundaries!" bullshit, nor was it for the purpose of creating some unholy tenno-grineer halfbreed.

Vay Molta is a simple woman, and i am an uncaring tenno. The only reason either of us agreed to it was because we felt like it.

Lemme tell you, she's amazing in bed, the kind of amazing only a grineer can be... I bet you're waiting for me to go into detail. too fucking bad! Use your imagination! But i will tell you: there are many other applications for a rocket propelled sledgehammer other then brutal murder.

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 12_

I judged a tenno today, a more-or-less experienced one. She seemed intent on claiming my head, _specifically_ my head. News of my betrayal continues to draw the Lotus' lackeys. Recently i've started wondering when Triska will try her hand at fighting me...

It's not a question of "if" with Triska, she had always been a very vengeful tenno. No, she would come to claim my life eventually.

I'm keeping this entry short, Zura and i have been selected to judge a group of defective grineer calling themselves "Kavor". I can already hear the cheers of the crowd, calling for us...

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 13_

This... Might be my final entry... I have been selected, just me, to face the tenno i had been waiting for. Triska is finally here, like the answer to a prayer.

I do not expect to survive this fight, so, maybe i'll take the time i have left to... I don't know, confess? Maybe. I do not regret what i have done, nor do i mourn the lives of the tenno i have slain, and if i had another chance, i'd do it all again.

But if i really am to die here, today, the only thing i really regret is not saying goodbye to the Lotus. I wonder what she thinks of me now.

Heh, listen to me, going all soft here.

Am i afraid? No, i have been waiting for this day for a while now, i'm prepared.

You know, i had thought i could put a big fucking speech about my regrets and maybe dissuade anyone from turning from the Lotus, but no, like i stated before, i have no regrets, and wether you betray your oath or not is your choice.

Besides, i know very fucking well what i am, i am selfish, greedy, uncaring, sometimes cruel, and disloyal. Perhaps i deserve what's coming for me.

I hear the buzzer going off, it's calling me to the arena.

Time to see what fate has in store for us, Triska...

 _Executioner Kalik's log, entry 14_

Hey, i don't know if anyone is listening to this, or if anyone will ever listen to this, but i'll put this in here anyway.

Kalik was a greedy, shortsighted fool, loyal only to the promise of treasure. He betrayed the Lotus, and died like a dog for it, wagging his tail for that cloned bitch.

If you're a loyal tenno, listen to this: keep fighting for the Lotus, for the people of the origin system!

Don't betray the Lotus!

Don't... Uh... Don't fuck a grineer, i guess?

I'm not good at speeches...

Anyway, that was all i really wanted to say.

My name is Triska, and i will remain loyal for as long as i live! Won't you?


End file.
